'Stranger Things' Season 2 Cast: Everything You Need To Know

After binging the entire first season of #StrangerThings when it hit #Netflix earlier this summer, we're left to fill the Demogorgon shaped hole left in our lives with the news, rumors and countless theories regarding its second season. Yet even though we know the hype will eventually calm down, there's one thing that's guaranteed to keep us clicking — the cast.

Not only did this smash hit bring back forgotten stars like Winona Ryder and Matthew Modine, but it brought a bunch of new faces to the scene that are as adorable out of character as they are in — we are, of course, talking about the kids. And, though we know that the bulk of Season 1's cast (sans, #Barb, sorry folks — you'll have to find your justice elsewhere) will remain the same, a couple of new guys have been added into the mix.

So, without further ado, here's a round up of the guys we can guarantee will appear in Stranger Things Season 2, alongside some fun facts about each one, because why not.

Fresh Meat:

1. Linnea Berthelsen

via Twitter

Character: Roman

Character described as:

“An emotionally damaged, magnetic young woman who suffered a great loss as a child. Although she does not live in Hawkins, she is mysteriously connected to the supernatural events at the lab…”

Where you'll know her from: You probably won't! According to her IMDb page, the actress has appeared in two shorts: Teenland and Natskygge, and one web series, The Desert.

Fun fact: She's Danish!

2. Sean Astin

Character: Bob Newby

Character described as:

“A kindhearted former nerd who went to high school with Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour) and now manages the local Hawkins RadioShack.”

Where you'll know him from: As Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings franchise, Mikey in The Goonies, in TV series like Jeremiah, The Strain and Bunnicula, among others.

Fun fact: Remember the Fellowship of the Ring scene in which Astin ran into water to follow Frodo? Apparently during one take he ran straight onto a shard of glass and had to be rushed to the Emergency Room!

3. Paul Reiser

[Credit: Fox]

Character: Dr. Owens

Character described as:

“A high-ranking member within the Department of Energy on a ‘clean-up’ assignment, tasked with containing the events of last year.”

Where you'll know him from: As Carter Burke in Aliens, and various other roles in movies like Whiplash, Mad About You, Read Oaks

Fun fact: He's been nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, an American Comedy Award AND a Screen Actors Guild — phwoar!

6. Brett Gelman

Fun fact: He's one half of a comedy rap duo called Cracked Out. And they are prettyyy funny. Take a peek:

Returning To Hawkins:

7. Winona Ryder

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Joyce Byers

Stranger Things marked something of a comeback for Ryder who, after a run in with the law in 2001, had been noticeably absent from our screens. The '90s icon stars as Joyce Byers, the mother left hysterical after her son goes missing and, while many have claimed to find Ryder's portrayal irritating, I believe it's a return to form, for no one nails off-kilter cray like she does.

8. David Harbour

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Chief Jim Hopper

Harbour has been working the cinematic circuit since his debut in Law & Order back in '99, bagging a Tony Award nomination six years later for his performance in a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The 42-year-old actor resides in New York City and claims Stranger Things marks a turning point in his career, telling The Daily Beast:

"It was the best pilot script I’d ever read. It was very subtle in the way it worked its magic, but I thought there was true magic in it. I was blown away by the character. It was the guy I’ve always wanted to play and I thought, well, I’ll never get cast in this, so I may as well read it and enjoy it, but I’m sure they’re going to want a big star for this, because it’s a real flashy role. And then apparently the [Duffer brothers] were really interested in me ... I was very surprised that I was even being considered—and then thrilled to get the part."

Where you'll know him from: Quantum of Solace, Revolutionary Road, Pan Am, The Equalizer, End of Watch, Suicide Squad

Fun fact: His character name is a direct nod to an '80s movie — an era Stranger Things plays homage to throughout the series — specifically a character Arnold Schwarzenegger goes looking for in 1987's Predator.

9. Millie Bobby Brown

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Jane "Eleven" Ives

So sure was Millie's family of her impending success that their support pushed them to the brink of bankruptcy, selling everything to move from the UK to Hollywood. Money got so tight that her manager, Melanie Greene, loaned them cash — a debt that assumedly has been more than paid off, seeing as Millie is now one of the hottest young actresses on the block!

Where you'll know her from: Intruders, Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

Fun fact: She trains in Thai boxing and Jiu Jitsu, and even has a punching bag in her garden — making her pretty perfect for whippin' demon butt both on and off screen!

10. Finn Wolfhard

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Mike Wheeler

In German, Finn's surname translates to "heart of the wolf," which is pretty damn cool, and something he can thank his German and French ancestry for. However, his need to portray others on screen comes not from his diverse heritage, but from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, the first movie he ever watched and his career inspiration!

Where you'll know him from:The 100, Supernatural, and next year's IT remake.

Fun fact: His Vine account is weird AF, you can listen to him talking to himself, smashing his head against a pillow and working some angles here — but first, a preview:

11. Gaten Matarazzo

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Dustin Henderson

Despite his 14 years, Matarazzo has become a hero for many, inspiring fellow suffers of cleidocranial dysplasia — a rare bone and teeth disorder — to feel better about themselves. Talking to People magazine, he said that Stranger Things had given him a platform to speak openly about the disease, adding:

"The feedback has been great. A lot of people were messaging me saying, 'You made me feel better about myself, that you can show that you have this condition on TV and embrace it.' I feel like I'm raising awareness for it. It makes me feel good."

Where you'll know him from:The Blacklist and Broadway productions Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Misérables.

Fun fact: His voice changed so dramatically by the time production ended that the sound team was unable to use him for additional dialogue!

12. Caleb McLaughlin

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Lucas Sinclair

Though we know him best for his portrayal of the instinctive and moral Lucas in Stranger Things, New York native Caleb McLaughlin is first and foremost trained in dance. He studied at The Harlem School of the Arts under Aubrey Lynch, a former producer of the Lion King — a.k.a. one of the best shows on Broadway.

Fun fact: His Instagram feed will give you envy for days as it's mostly pics of him hanging with the likes of Stevie Wonder, LL Cool J and Dave Chappelle. Jealous!

13. Noah Schnapp

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Will Byers

The boy everyone's searching for in Season 1 of Stranger Things, Will, is played by 12-year-old Noah Schnapp, who discovered his love for acting at a young age. However, when he's not battling Demogorgon's on screen, he's writing plays that he performs with his sister, and chilling with his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Spaghetti (what a great name for a dog!).

Where you'll know him from: Bridge of Spies, Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie ...

Fun fact: Where voiced the one and only Charlie Brown!

14. Natalia Dyer

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Nancy Wheeler

Like the rest of the Stranger Things clan, Natalia bagged her first acting role at the tender age of 12 and she's come a long way since her Disney Channel darling days — from appearing in Hanna Montana's movie, to setting up Demogorgon traps and workin' a complicated on-screen love triangle. That's a Miley level turn around if ever we saw one!

Where you'll know her from:Hannah Montana: The Movie, The Greening of Whitney Brown, I Believe in Unicorns

Fun fact: To get into character for Stranger Things — she was born 14 years after the year the show's set, don't forget — Natalia turned to her mom's year books, bought Charlie perfume and binged on old-school slashers.

15. Charlie Heaton

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Jonathan Byers

Like most British actors, Heaton's early work (well, I say "early work," this is only going back a year) took place in the medical drama Casualty, a TV show that seems to be something of a rite of passage for budding actors — Orlando Bloom, Kate Winslet, Christopher Eccleston and Ray Winstone all started out here.

Where you'll know him from: Urban & the Shed Crew, Shut In, As You Are

Fun fact: He used to drum in a noise-rock band called Comanechi — not to paraphrase Mean Girls or anything, but we heard he does gigs... in Japan:

16. Joe Keery

[Credit: Netflix]

Character: Steve Harrington

The opposite of his on-screen counterpart Steve, 24-year-old Joe Keery claimed he was actually super nervous when auditioning for the part and told The Wall Street Journal:

“We did a table read [in Atlanta] and Winona Ryder was there; I was freaking out.”

Though to be fair, when auditioning in front of cinema royalty, who wouldn't be?